Backyard Garden Arbor Ideas

Adding a garden arbor to your yard can do many things; it can define an entrance, guide a visitor through the garden, provide purely aesthetic beauty, or be a functional part
of the landscape by supporting a gate, a bench or a climbing plant.

Types of Arbors

A garden arbor can make the perfect entrance into your yard from the street or create an entrance from the front yard to the back. They can be made of wood or metal, each material
giving the arbor a completely different feel.

Metal arbors can be very detailed and bring to mind the Victorian era, when everything was ornate and formal.

Wooden arbors can make an
entrance feel casual and inviting. Entrance arbors can feature a gate or just an open space.

In a cottage garden, a simple wooden arbor could bring that wonderful feeling of welcome. The arbor could sit on its own or be attached to a picket fence. Even for entrances, always
choose a style that suits your garden.

Bench arbors give you a beautiful place to sit in your garden. A garden arbor like this can have the bench built in, or it can be situated to enclose a bench. If you have climbing plants
on the arbor, it can offer you shade as you sit and enjoy the view.

While most garden arbors can be considered charming and romantic, those with a bench are perfect for a quiet moment
with your sweetheart or a magical place for children to play.

A garden arbor designed to support a climbing plant should be sturdy. It is amazing how heavy plants can get. Roses, vines and all sorts of beautiful plants can be trained to climb arbors.
An arbor can make a strong statement in the garden architecturally or by providing vertical support. Growing vertical vines can create a lot of visual interest in the garden.

You can even create large arbors that can cover spas, swings, tables or hammocks. Just imagine lying on a hammock, looking up at the beautiful roses blooming all around you on the arbor.
What a relaxing place for a summer nap.

Choosing Your GardenArbor

Now that you've decided you must have an arbor, what kind should you get? Well, of course, you need to pick one that suits your budget. With that being said, expect to pay at least $100
for a very simple arbor you build from a kit. Paying anything less will usually get you an arbor that is not sturdy enough to do its job. If you are somewhat of a builder you could get some
garden arbor plans and build one yourself.

Once you know what your budget will support, take a look at all the arbors that are available. Asian, pergola, arches, gabled, gothic and many other styles will tempt you. Think about your
garden. What is your landscaping like? An Asian style arbor would work nicely if you have a Japanese style garden, but not so much if you have a cottage garden. Consider where it will be
and what kinds of plants will be around it.

Other Uses for Arbors

You can even use arbors in your vegetable garden. Many plants in the vegetable garden like to climb. Peas and beans are only a sample. You can also make cucumbers and some squash vines climb.
They may need a little assistance, but it clears up your garden space by putting them in the air. Just think of how much space you will have for other plants if those sprawling veggies are
climbing instead.

By using an arbor, you can use the taller varieties of peas and beans instead of the dwarf varieties, which will grow more produce for you and your family. You could even
train grapes or raspberries onto an arbor. Grapes work especially well, providing a shady spot to rest from your gardening duties during the summer while you enjoy a few sweet clusters of fruit.

During the winter, the arbor will still offer some visual interest in your resting vegetable garden, so be sure to choose one that has a design you enjoy. If you live in a cold winter area,
when the snow falls, the arbor takes on yet another persona, giving you an ever changing picture to see in the garden.